Your Co-op

Store manager Brad shines a light on his love for retail

Brad Tuckfield, manager at Brundall Food Store, has spoken about his passion for the community as part of a special film created charting his career.

The 23-year-old is one of the youngest store managers in the history of Central England Co-op and he has now spoken about his rise from customer services assistant to running the store in The Street, Brundall.

The up and comer shines a light in the film on his love for retail and his drive to ensure he and his team have a major and long lasting impact on the surrounding community.

He said: “I first started working for the Society when I was at college and started out as a customer services assistant at Mulbarton Food Store. I have now worked at Central England Co-op for five and a half years.”

From the point that he joined, Brad knew retail was for him and he decided to pursue a promising career in the field.

“I really enjoy practical work, work where you can see you’ve made a difference and when I built my first stack of products I just fell in love with retail,” he said.

“I quickly went on to be a trainee manager and then took on the role of deputy manager at Mulbarton before being rewarded with the position of store manager at Stowupland petrol station.”

He quickly impressed bosses and was soon handed a new challenge at Brundall, one that he is fully embraced.

He said: “I thoroughly enjoy the role and have a fantastic team behind me.

“We are a close team and because of that everyone loves being able to do a great job at the same time as having a big impact in the local community.

“The good thing about being a store manager is that you wake up and no day is the same – you walk into different challenges each day.”

For many, his age might be seen as a barrier to success and progression, but for Brad this has never been the case.

He added: “Being young allows me to bring a lot of energy and ideas to the role, but every day I am still learning about the job.

“I want to continue to succeed and get results. I also want to improve and rise up the ranks at the Society. I think there is so much support for growth and progression and don’t think there are any limits to what I can achieve.”

One of the key reasons that Brad loves his job is because of the core ethos that runs through the heart of Central England Co-operative – community.

He said: “I love working for Central England Co-op because of its values and principles. My family is quite community focused, my dad used to run a football club and he and my mum also foster children, and this has really helped me appreciate the importance of community and giving something back.

“One of the things we like to do is support a nearby care home. We go along and have a cup of tea and a biscuit with residents every month. It brings a big smile to their faces and is a great way to show that being part of a co-operative is more than just getting customers through the door.

“The impact the Society is making to the local area is unbelievable. I think we truly are making a difference and I am so proud to be part of it.”

In his spare time, Brad is a season ticket holder with his dad and brother at West Ham United and also enjoys playing an active role in helping to raises the foster children who live with him and his parents.

The Brundall store is open from 7am to 10pm seven days a week. The store offers fresh and local fruit and vegetables, an in-store bakery for breads and pastries, chilled beers and wines, fresh and frozen product, Irresistible product ranges, hot food and Costa Coffee.

The store also offers Paypoint, Collect Plus, Lottery, a free cash machine and a free car park. It also hosts a collection point for the local foodbank.

Notes to editors

Picture caption: Brad Tuckfield, Manager at Central England Co-op Brundall Food Store, talks about his progress and love for community as part of a specially created film.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK.

It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, and property investment.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.